Tenggarong, September 3, 2024 — The Monitoring Team of the Regional Office for Language in East Kalimantan Province went to Kutai Kartanegara Regency on September 2, 2024, to monitor and evaluate the Kutai Malay revitalization activity. As part of the Merdeka Belajar Program Episode 17, it aimed to preserve the regional languages and monitor the Kutai Malay revitalization progress carried out by teachers/mentors. Besides, it aimed to see the students’ readiness to participate in FTBI in November.
The monitoring occurred at the Grand Elty Singgasana Hotel Tenggarong, Kutai Kartanegara when the selection of FTBI Regency Level was hosted. Drs. Joko Sampurno, M.Si., from the Agency of Education and Culture of Kutai Kartanegara Regency, Puji Utomo, S.H., Head of Culture Division, Awang M. Rifani, S.Sos., M.Si., Staff for Arts Department, principals, teachers, trainers, mentors, jury, guests from various agencies, and FTBI participants from the elementary and junior high school students are involved in the event.
“The language diversity we have is a cultural asset that must be preserved so that it is not extinct. The extinction can be caused by lifestyles that marginalize certain tribes and even shift their origin place, as well as the declining population of mother-tongue speakers. Therefore, we have to preserve it to prevent its extinction. FTBI is our attempt to allow our young generation a chance to express themselves through poetry, songs, storytelling, and others. I hope, via FTBI, our young people will love the Kutai language even more,” said Joko Sampurno reading the remarks of the Regent of Kutai Kartanegara.
The team watched all participants’ performances from various categories. The elementary-level categories consist of storytelling, tingkilan, and poetry reading. The junior high school category namely speech, tarsul, single comedy, and short story writing. Participants performed well in their Kutai Malay language talents. Furthermore, Yudianti Herawati, S.S., M.A. gave award prizes to FTBI participants who became winners and will participate at the provincial level. (yh)
Translated by Muhammad Erwin Darma